Street and station indicator



y 1- D. M. SAUNDERS ,8

STREET AND STATION INDICATOR Filed Sept. 5. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m gnum y 5, 1931. w D. M. SAUNDERS ,8

STREET AND STATION INDICATOR Filed Sept. 5. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 5, 1931 UNITED STATES DAVID MFSAUNDERS, F HICK SVILLE, OHIO STREET AND STATION INDICATOR Application filed September 5, 1928. Serial No. 304,048.

This invention relates to a street and station indicator for street cars, busses and the like, the general object of the invention be ing to provide a plurality of frames for carrying the names of the stations or streets and advertising matter, the frames being hingedly connected together, with a drum over which the endless chain formed by the frames pass, and a curved rack below the drum for holding the inactive frames, with manually operated means for giving the drum a step by step movement to successively bring the frames in front of a window formed in a casing which encloses the parts of the device.

Another object of the invention is to so form the parts that the operating means may be placed either at the left side of the device or at the right side thereof.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, refcrence will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the complete device.

Figure 2 is a. front view thereof.

Figure 3 is a section on line 38 of Figure 1.

Figure 1 is a section on line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing how the frames are hingedly connected together.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 2.

In these views, the numeral 1 indicates a casing which is formed with an enlarged lower part and which has a window 2 in the front side of its small part. A hexagonal drum 8 is rotatably supported in the top part of the casing and has one of its pintles extending through one side of the casing and a disk 5 is secured to this projecting part. The periphery of the disk is" formed with a plurality of notches 6, one for each side of the drum, and an arm 7 is rotatably mounted on the extended part of the pintle and 55 carries a reversible pawl 8 at its upper end which is adapted to engage the notches 6 so that when the arm is rocked in one direction, the disk will be moved with the arm, but when the arm moves in an opposite direction, the pawl will ratchet'over the'disk until it engages the next notch. A knurled member 9 passes through a bearing in the upper end of the arm and carries a. pawl so that the pawl can be reversed, The lower part of the arm7 is of segmental form, as shown at 10, so that this part of the arm is of considerable weight and w-illtend to cause the arm to assume the position shown in Figure 1. Each lower corner of the segmental part is formed with a threaded hole 11 and a lever 12 is pivoted to the projecting part of the pintle and extends downwardly over the segmental part and carries a set screw 13 so that the arm can be attached to either side of the segmental part. A cable 14: is connected with the lower end of the lever and passes to a point where it can be pulled upon by the conductor'or motorman or other person in charge of the vehicle on which the device is placed.

By makingthe pawl reversible, the arm 12 can be so connected with the segmental part 10 that the device can be actuated from either side of the device. A spring pressed pawl 15 is pivotally connected with the casing and engages the recesses 16 formed in the periphery of the disk 5 and acts to prevent movement of the disk and drum during the idling movement of the arm 7 under the action of its weighted part 10.

A pair of semi-circular bars 17 is arranged in the lower part of the cabinet and form a rack for supporting the panel frames 18 which are in the lower part of the casing. These frames are connected together by the double hinges 19 so that the framesform an endless member which passes over the drum and extends downwardly adjacent each side of the casing, with a number of the frames resting upon the curved rack, as clearly shown in Figure 6. Every other hinge has its pins extended, with rollers on the extended portions and these rollers engage the rack bars so that the frames supported by the rack bars will assume the depending positions shown in Figures 3 and 6.

A small roll 21, carried by an adjustable bracket 22, is arranged in rear of the window and tends to hold the frame, which is adjacent the window, firmly againstsaid window and thus prevents movement of the frame. Each frame is formed with a slot 23 so that a card 24 can be slipped into the frame, the inner wall of which is grooved to receive the card. These cards carry the names of the streets or stations, as shown at 25 in Figure 2, and they also carry advertising matter or the like, as shown at 26 in Figure 2.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that every time the cable 14 is pulled upon, the lever 12 will move the arm 7, and this movement of the arm will cause the disk to turn one-sixth of a revolution and then, when the cable is released, the dog will slide back over the disk and engage the next notch therein, due to the action ofthe weighted arm. This movement of the disk will, of course, be communicated to the drum and thus the endless member, formed by the frames 18, will be moved to bring a new frame opposite the window. The lower frames will beheld suspended by the curved bars 17, so that this endless member can be made of considerable length, as a great number of the frames will be held by these bars 17. As soon as the rollers 20 strike the curved bars, the rollers will slide downwardly and thus cause the frames to fold one upon another, as clearly shown in Figure 6, and the pull exerted upon the endless member by the drum as the drum is moved will cause the frames to unfold, shown in this figure.

Thus it is simply necessary for the motorman or other person-to exert a pull upon the cable every timethe name of a new station or street is to appear at the window.

Itis thought fromthe foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in -the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A device of the class described comprising ,a casing having a window therein, ,a drum rotatably arranged in the upperpart of the casing, .an endless member passing over the drum and passing before the windew during the rotary movement of the :d-rnm, a :disk connected with one of the pintles of the drum, a weighted arm pivotally connected with the pintle, ratchet means for connecting the upper end of the arm with the disk, a segmental part on the lower end of the arm forming the weight therefor, a lever pivotally connected with the pintle, a set screw for connecting the lever with either lower corner of the segmental part, means for reversing the ratchet means and a cable connected with the lever.

2; A device of the class described comprising a casing having a window therein, a nonecircular drum rotatably mounted in the casing and having one of its pintles extending through one side of the casing, manually operated means connected with the pintle for moving the drum, an endless member passing over the drum and composed of a plurality of frames and double hinges connecting the frames together, the two rods of every other hinge having projecting ends, curved bars in the lower part of the casing with which the projecting ends engage, a roller for holding each frame against a part of the window and indicia carrying members removably arranged in the frames.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

DAVID M. SAUNDERS, 

